NEW BRITAIN – Announced in Mid-August, Capital Workforce Partners was the recipient of a$1.1 million* grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, to enroll and train 70 youth who are currently not connected to school or work. The program has set the goals high in connecting otherwise "disconnected 18-24 year olds" back to education and or jobs.

Most will:

earn industry recognized credentials;

earn a GED or equivalent;

achieve literacy and numeracy gains;

advance to post-secondary education,

obtain registered apprenticeship or employment;

retain education or employment for a minimum of 6 months;

and, the recidivism rate for court-involved youth will be less than half the national average.

At the same time, the project will result in the building of five (5) single family affordable houses in New Britain neighborhoods: on Willow St., Fairview Street and Newington Avenue.

Partners and collaborators in this project include: the City of New Britain (access to worksites, and participant recruitment); Finishing Trades Institute of Southern New England (hands-on occupational training); Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity (lead in the construction of the five single family homes, including needed resources); New Britain Adult Education (I-BEST curriculum developer) and the Human Resources Agency of New Britain (case management, placement and retention). Capital Workforce Partners serves as project lead and fiscal agent and has assigned Julia Jack as the Full Time Project Director for this initiative. Ms. Jack's most recent assignment was that of program supervisor for the New Britain Jobs Funnel where she has also produced comprehensive monthly inventories on construction projects in the region. Ms. Jack holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and a Master's in Construction Management.

*This grant was matched with $275,000 from Habitat for Humanity.

"New Britain is thrilled to continue our productive partnership with Capital Workforce Partners. This grant will provide critical training to our young people, making them more marketable and more competitive for today's jobs, and is bringing five new, single-family homes to the Willow Street area. My thanks goes out to Tom Phillips, the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce, and the members of our federal delegation, for their help in bringing this wonderful program to our City." ~ Mayor Erin E. Stewart

"We are proud of our successful Jobs Funnel Program and the sophisticated construction project inventory that we maintain to assess planned work and project future occupational demand. Gaining this grant is a testament to the solid model we have built and proven over the years." ~ Thomas Phillips, President and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners

"I'm very proud to help secure the $1.1 million grant for the YouthBuild Project in New Britain, which supports critical job-training and apprenticeship programs. The YouthBuild Project will train young people with the skills they need to get good-paying jobs right here in Connecticut. Apprenticeships are a proven way to develop a new generation of workers helping our economy grow and our communities flourish." ~ Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, CT 5th District